> Bramblestar's Pony Experience > by Flagstar of Flagclan > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter One: The Gathering > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bramblestar led his clan to the edge of the fallen tree. He signaled for them to cross. Once his whole clan got across he started forward. He could hear the many cats talking in the middle of the island. Squirrelflight, the thunderclan deputy, ran up to him. “Bramblestar, tension is buzzing around the island. Windclan looks like they’re gonna rip our pelts off.” She said. He shook his head. “Well they do have the right. After the great battle with the dark forest we did steal some of their prey.” Squirrelflight nodded. Bramblestar brushed past her and headed for the other leaders and jumped on top of the ancient oak. Onestar had his back to him but Mistystar gave him a warm smile. “It’s great that you became leader Bramblestar. Too bad Firestar died though.” She mewed sympathetically. Her silver fur shined in the moonlight. Bramblestar nodded and then turned to address the cats below. Blackstar gave a loud yowl to signal the start of the gathering. Mistystar stepped forward. She talked about new apprentices and kits. She also talked about a few new warriors. When Onestar came up he glared at Bramblestar. “Prey stealers!” He yelled. Protests filled the air from Thunderclan but Bramblestar signaled them to be silent. Windclan cat’s glared at the cats with open hostility. Instinctively Bramblestar unsheathed his claws. “I will not deny you Onestar, we have stolen some prey. Though you stopped us after the first time. I think you are just speaking nonsense.” Onestar raised his hackles. “If you do not deny it, then I think you should repay us for the prey you stole.” He hissed in annoyance. “You expect us to repay you? Even after we defended you during the great battle?” Blackstar walked up to Onestar’s side. “We all helped in the great battle Bramblestar, or have you forgotten? It’s just like Thunderclan to take all the credit.” Again yowls of protest filled the hollow. Squirrelflight yelled over the rest of them. “We know that everyone helped Blackstar, but we lost a lot of prey from the dark forest cats raging through our territory. Not to mention we lost our leader Firestar when he killed Tigerstar. We deserve some extra prey.” She said. Bramblestar gave her a thankful glance. Onestar hissed and leaped at him. He yowled as claws met his throat. He tried to throw Onestar off but it was no use. Bramblestar felt his life ebb away and soon darkness overtook him. He woke up in a green clearing. A shiny cat walked up to him. She had a starry pelt but he could see the silver fur. “Greetings Bluestar.” He said respectively. Her eyes were blue chips of ice. “You got killed in a gathering! That is unacceptable! What were you thinking?” Bramblestar took a deep breath. “I promise it will never happen again.” He said apologetically. She nodded. “I know, because you’re not going back to the lake.” “What! Why would you not send me back? I have my nine lives.” He gasped in horror. He didn’t want to go to starclan just yet. “You’re going to Equestria.” She mewed. Suddenly he felt blackness engulf him. When he saw light again he found himself in a dark forest. He heard a low growl behind him. He turned around to see a large dog made out of wood. Bramblestar made a hiss and tried to unsheath his claws but he couldn't get them out. He looked down at his paws to see that he had none but instead had hooves like a horse. He looked back up at the wooded dog and gave a big gulp. “This is the end.” He thought to himself. > Chapter Two: Timberwolves and The Main Six > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bramblestar closed his eyes and waited for his death to come when he heard a voice. “Yee ha! You better leave him alone!” Yelled Applejack. She lassoed the wolf on the mussel and pulled it back. Fluttershy came and used her stare on the wolf. It yelped and ran into the woods. The two ponies ran over to him, both looking concerned. “Oh my gosh, are you okay mister?” Fluttershy asked. Bramblestar opened his eyes. He saw a yellow pony with a pink mane looking at him. She had a few butterflies on her flank. He saw another pony behind her. She was orange with a yellow mane, and she had an apple on her flank. “Err, yes. Who are you two?” “I’m Applejack, and this is my friend Fluttershy. And who in the hay are you?” Asked Applejack. “My name is Bramblestar. So where am I? This doesn’t look like Thunderclan.” Fluttershy and Applejack exchanged confused glances. Clearly he was nowhere near the lake and these ponies have never heard of clans. “You’re in the Everfree Forest. Something must have happened to you. I think we better bring you to Twilight.” Before he could object they flanked him and led him out of the forest and into a town. He saw twoleg nests everywhere but instead of twolegs there were ponies. He saw something like twoleg monsters but they had fruit and twoleg food in them. Fluttershy and Applejack led him to a giant tree with an entrance. Inside it was all wooden except for weird twoleg stuff everywhere. Another pony walked up to them. She was purple and had some stars on her flank. There was one big one and small ones all around it. She smiled when she saw the ponies. “Hey Applejack. Hey Fluttershy. What are you doing here? And who is this?” “This is Bramblestar. I think he hit his head or something. We found him getting attacked by a timberwolf.” Applejack told her. Twilight looked hard at Bramblestar with narrowed eyes. He lifted his chin and looked at her with an unreadable expression. Silently he cursed Bluestar for sending him here. Twilight examined his head carefully before looking back at her friends. “Well he has no injuries. Maybe we should get the others here and have him tell us his story.” Both Applejack and Fluttershy nodded. “I’ll go get them.” Fluttershy offered. She flew out the door and Applejack followed. “I better follow her. Ya never know, there may be more timberwolves out there.” She called over her shoulder. Bramblestar looked at Twilight to see her heading over to one of the walls. She grabbed something that he’s never seen before. “Uh, what’s that?” Twilight gasped in shock. “Haven’t you’ve ever seen a book?” He shook his head. He saw a scaly creature walk over to her. “Who’s this?” He asked. She quickly told him everything. Soon Applejack and Fluttershy came back with three other ponies. They introduced themselves as Rainbowdash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. Then they all sat down. “Now tell us the whole story Bramblestar.” Said Twilight. Bramblestar took a deep breath. “Here we go.” He said. > Chapter Three: Bramblestar's Story > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “So in my world I was a cat not a pony. It all started when our clan leader, Firestar, died. I was deputy so I had to lead the clan. After I received my nine lives from Starclan everything changed. More responsibilities were brought into my life and my new deputy, my mate Squirrelflight, wasn't much help. She didn't really understand my troubles. Our territory was running out of the little prey we had left. I decided to catch a few rabbits from Windclan territory. They caught me and told me to stay out of their land or they would kill me. I listened to them so I could avoid a fight. When the gathering came Onestar killed me and I went to Starclan, where Bluestar sent me here.” All the ponies were silent. Bramblestar felt uncomfortable as he felt their stares burning into his pelt. Finally one of the ponies spoke up. “Well that’s an interesting story.” Said Rarity. All the ponies nodded in agreement. He shifted slightly and tried to focus on one of the books. Although he couldn’t read he thought they looked interesting. He got up and grabbed one with a purple cover. It had a horseshoe on the front cover. Twilight got up and walked over to him. “That’s our journal. It has all of the lessons we learned about friendship in it. Would you like to read it?” She asked. Bramblestar shook his head. “I don’t know how to read.” He admitted. A look of horror spread across her face but was quickly concealed. She walked over to another shelf and searched the titles. Finally she grabbed a book with a red cover on it. She walked back over to him. “Then I’ll teach you how to read.” Hope flared up in his chest. At least on pony accepted him. The other five were standing now. They had unreadable expressions as they said their goodbyes. When they left Twilight showed him a place where he could sleep. As they walked back to the library his stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten since before the gathering and it felt like moons ago. Twilight noticed the rumbling. “You must be hungry. What would you like to eat Bramblestar?” She asked. “What do you have for fresh kill?” She looked shocked. Bramblestar suddenly remembered that he was talking to a pony not another cat. He remembered from seeing them by the lake that they ate grass and oats. “I mean, what do you have for food?” “Well, there’s some apple fritters in the fridge.” Bramblestar settled down to eat while she went to grab some. When she came back she had three of the things she called apple fritters. He looked at it curiously and waited for her to take a bite first. After she took a bite he nipped at it. It surprisingly tasted wonderful to him. “This is the best thing I've ever eaten.” He exclaimed. Twilight smiled in delight. Once they were done eating she headed up the stairs to her bed. “Goodnight Bramblestar. Feel free to eat anything else before you go to bed. Spike!” The scaly creature, which Bramblestar found out was a dragon, ran up to her. He looked just as tired as Twilight. “Yes Twilight?” He asked. “I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia and let her know that Bramblestar is now staying with me.” She said. Spike wrote the letter and then blew fire on it. Bramblestar screamed and hid behind the table. Twilight gave him a confused glance. “What’s wrong?” “Fire is feared by all the clans. I didn't know it was safe here.” He replied sheepishly. Spike laughed and quickly explained that it was how he sent letters. Bramblestar felt sleep starting to take over. He headed for the bed Twilight had showed him. Soon sleep took over but he soon woke up. He tried to figure out what had woken him when a starry cat appeared. Bramblestar realized that he must be dreaming. He saw that the cat was Spottedleaf, Thunderclan’s medicine cat when Firestar had first come to the forest. She had an apologetic look on her face. “I’m sorry that you have to be here Bramblestar.” “Why was I sent here?” “Bluestar was mad. She has lost her mind once more. We had to kill her in the end.” She said flatly. “So are you going to take me home?” “I’m afraid not. I have barely enough power to get here. You are going to have to find your own way back.” Suddenly she disappeared. Bramblestar saw the dream start to fade. “Spottedleaf please! Help me?” He begged, but she had already left. > Chapter Four: Love and Betrayal > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bramblestar woke up to Twilight right in his face. At first he didn’t recognize where he was, but soon the memories from the day before entered his mind. “Why did you wake me up?” He asked with a yawn. “You were mumbling in your sleep. Something about Spottedleaf.” Bramblestar got up and walked to the window. Outside ponies were running about. He looked up to see the sun just rising. It seemed to be moving faster than normal. “Why is the sun rising so fast?” “Princess Celestia is rising the sun.” Twilight said. Bramblestar gave her a confused look. She sighed and started to explain. “It has been the way for generations that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who are both our alicorn rulers, must raise the sun and the moon. Celestia is in charge of the sun while Luna is in charge of the moon.” He nodded and went back to looking out the window. A flash of pink caught his eye and he turned to see Pinkie Pie walking over to the entrance of the tree, or library as Twilight called it. She knocked on the door and then burst in. She wore something made of straw on top of her head and carried a weird object in her mouth. She smiled at the two ponies. “Hey guys. Since Bramblestar just came here he needs to be welcomed and I think this calls for a party!” She said excitedly. Twilight smiled while he hissed in annoyance. He didn’t know what a party was but if she was this excited about it then it must be wild. She gave him a hard stare that made him shiver. Clearly Twilight didn’t want him upsetting her friend. Pinkie Pie handed them an invitation and told them it would be held at Sugarcube Corner. Then she left, saying something about balloons and streamers as she went. Bramblestar looked at the invitation. He tried to make out the jumble of words but it made no sense. “So how do you read?” Twilight smiled. “Let’s go over to my book and I’ll teach you.” After about several hours, he learned enough to read the invitation. It said; “We have a new member in Ponyville: Bramblestar. To welcome him we are going to have a party at Sugarcube Corner. Please come and greet our new friend.”. He was so proud of himself and so was Twilight. Suddenly he wished he could share this information with his mate, Squirrelflight. Then an idea came to him. “Twilight, you said you could do magic right?” She nodded. “Yeah, why?” “I was wondering if you could make a portal so I could go home?” He asked. She looked disappointed, but she started looking through her magic books. Finally she opened one up to a page and set it on the table. “I can’t send you back but I can show you something from your world. It has to start off from one of your memories though.” As her horn lit up he imagined right when Onestar killed him. Suddenly he say his dead body on the ground under the ancient oak. Onestar had a look of shock while Squirrelflight was trying to hide a smile on her face. Bramblestar gasped at the sight. “I, I didn’t mean to kill him. Why isn’t Starclan covering the moon to punish me?” Said Onestar in a whisper. Squirrelflight looked up at him. “If Starclan doesn’t cover the moon, then that means they wanted him dead. Finally, now I can be leader.” Gasps filled the air at her response. Bramblestar could see no sorrow in her gaze, only pure delight. He closed his eyes and let the sight slip away until he was back in the library. Twilight gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m so sorry Bramblestar. She shouldn’t have done that to you.” She said. Bramblestar closed his eyes and started to weep. He thought that Squirrelflight had loved him, but turns out she just wanted to be leader. > Chapter Five: Pinkie's Party > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All day Bramblestar was depressed. He felt as if his heart had broken into a million shards and then the shards were tearing him apart from the inside. Twilight tried to comfort him but it was no use. She looked at her pocket watch and gasped. “Bramblestar, we have to hurry. We’re late for Pinkie’s party!” She exclaimed. He looked over at her and sighed. Even though he was depressed he didn’t want to let Pinkie down. She may be annoying but at least she’s nice. He got up to follow Twilight out what he now knew was a door. They went up to a building that seemed to be made out of twoleg food. He followed her inside to see a brightly colored area with weird objects and food. “Hey guys! I’m glad you could make it!” Bramblestar turned around to see Pinkie Pie holding a brightly colored object. He tipped his head thoughtfully but couldn’t figure out what it was. Twilight laughed. “That’s a present. You have to take off the brightly colored paper and then open it. Anything could be inside.” He slowly unwrapped it, getting help from his friends, and opened the box. Inside there a highly decorated food that he’s never seen. Pinkie whispered cake under her breath. He smiled at her. “Thank you. This is really nice of you.” “Oh it’s my pleasure. I just love throwing parties. I throw the best parties in Ponyville, just ask Rainbow.” She exclaimed. He rolled his eyes and laughed, his burden of Squirrelflight’s betrayal forgotten. At the party he learned everything he could. He also made a new friend called Octavia. The party had just come to an end when Bramblestar found the other ponies. “Hey guys!” All of them gave him a big smile. “Hey Bramblestar, what’s up?” Asked Rainbowdash. “I learned how to read something today.” She hoof-bumped him him and then looked at his back. Bramblestar noticed he had wings just like her. He hadn’t taken the time to notice them with everything going on. “So how do you fly?” Rainbowdash looked startled but then remembered his story from the night before. “All you have to do is flap your wings really hard.” She said simply. He started to flap his wings and to his delight lifted off the ground. It was short lived when he hit the ceiling of the bakery. Everypony started to laugh and he laughed with them. “Looks like I need to practice outside.” He started to head for the door when Pinkie stopped him. “You can’t go just yet. I have to sing you the welcome song!” Bramblestar flattened ears at the song. He’s never heard singing but it was too high pitched for his liking. When she was done singing he smiled and clapped. “That was very nice, but if you would excuse me, I want to adventure around Ponyville.” He said. He said goodbye to every pony and left. Twilight followed him out the door and showed him everything she could. She said the names of everything a few times and tested him to see if he remembered. Turns out he got most of the information down but forgot the name of the place Applejack stayed at. When they returned to the library Twilight threw him into another reading lesson. “So how do you spell Bramblestar?” He had to think for a moment. “B R A M B L E S T A R.” She nodded. Another burst of triumph similar to this mornings washed over him. It also brought back his sadness about Squirrelflight. A steaming pile of rage started to burn in his belly. A new instinct came over him to open up his winds and arch them along with his back. He opened up his mouth and let out a menacing his. To Bramblestar’s delight he still had fangs. Twilight jumped back. He ditched the menacing pose instantly. “Sorry Twilight. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He said apologetically. “It’s fine. Listen I’m gonna go take a nap before dinner. See you in a few hours.” As she left Bramblestar lowered his head. Two thoughts crossed his mind. One; “I have to think before I do.” and two; “I have to kill Squirrelflight.”. > Chapter Six: Meeting The Princess and.....Discord? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After dinner the two ponies headed out for Rarity’s boutique. When they came in she was working on a new dress. Bramblestar studied the pattern on the dress. It seemed to have a swirl of many colors, though the swirls faded into each other to make it shiny and extravagant. Rarity looked up at him and smiled. “Oh doesn’t it look simply amazing! I can do only the best for Princess Celestia.” Twilight gasped. “Princess….Celestia….coming here!” “Yes! I’m so excited!” Bramblestar didn’t understand why Twilight was so scared of this pony. She described her like she was a god of sort. “Why would you be scared of her Twilight? I thought you liked her.” “I do it’s just had no warning.” She said. “Rarity, when is she coming?” A large white pony with a flowing mane came through the door. She had a sun on her flank and her mane kept moving even though she was just standing there. Bramblestar noticed she had three colors in her main; pink, green, and purple. Twilight and Rarity bowed so he followed their lead. “Greetings. It’s nice to see you again. And this must be Bramblestar.” He stood up straight and nodded. He gave the respectful nod that is exchanged between leaders. “It is nice to meet you Princess Celestia.” He said. Twilight gave a sigh of relief when Celestia smiled. She walked up to his side and bowed to her. “How come you never told me about your visit?” “I wasn’t planning to stay long. I just wanted to get my dress and go.” Bramblestar looked at the dress. It was absolutely stunning. Rarity put a covering over it and brought it to the princess. Celestia thanked her and went on her way. Once she was gone another knock came on the door. Suddenly a hideous creature zapped into the room. He smiled a crooked smile when he saw the ponies. “Oh, hello everyone. Twilight don’t you look great and Rarity aren’t you just stunning. And is this Bramblestar, the one who was a cat?” Said the creature. “Discord, what are you doing here?” Asked Twilight. Discord looked taken aback. “Is there a reason I can’t visit my favorite friends in all of Equestria? Plus I had to meet this new pony. Princess Celestia seemed very interested in him when she read your letter.” Bramblestar tipped his head. Maybe this “Discord” was Celestia’s boyfriend. Or maybe he a spy for some evil god forsaken beast. However he knew this information clearly he was not supposed to know it. “Discord go away. We do not want you here!” Said Rarity. He frowned and then snapped his fingers. A flash of light came and then he disappeared. Bramblestar let a sigh. He’s had way too much excitement for one day and it was really late. He looked outside to see that the sun has set and the moon was high. “Twilight we must get back. It’s nearly moonhigh and I’m really beat.” She yawned and nodded in agreement. A light came from her horn and they appeared in the library. He went to his bed and closed his eyes. Exhausted he faded into a troubled sleep. He had dreams about Squirrelflight and Onestar killing him. Another dream came where she addressed the clan with her new name, Squirrelstar. He let out a hiss of anger when she said that she was glad he died. A new thought his mind. “I will get my revenge.” He thought. His dreams stopped and an untroubled sleep fell upon him. > Chapter Seven: Revenge is Plotted > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bramblestar yawned as he walked towards the kitchen for breakfast. He’s been in Ponyville for a week now and has learned so much. He made sure to wake up extra early so he could make breakfast for her. He grabbed some soy milk out of the fridge and blueberry muffin mix out of the cupboard. Once he turned the oven on he set the timer so it could preheat. “Morning.” He said to Spike as he walked through the door. Spike yawned and waved. The timer went off and Bramblestar put the muffins in the oven. Again he set the timer and waited for the muffins to bake. He poured a couple glasses of milk for him and Twilight and some liquid ruby for Spike. He sat down at the table and opened up the journal he had first seen when he came to Ponyville. He’s been studying their lessons and decided that this “magic of friendship” was like a warrior code here. Everyone seemed to follow it. Bramblestar had read about two lessons when the timer went off again. He grabbed some oven mitts and took out the pan. He turned at the sound of hooves clopping down the stairs. Twilight smiled when she saw the muffins on the table. “Those look scrumptious.” “Well I made them for all of us so dig in.” Twilight and Spike each grabbed a muffin while he took a sip of milk. Once they had their fill he grabbed a chocolate chip one and took a bite. Sure, he still missed the succulent taste of a fresh mouse or his favorite, a fresh canary, but the food here was the runner up. He couldn’t wait until later. Octavia had invited him to her concert that night and he wasn’t going to miss it. Bramblestar had heard her practice and he was really excited. “I can’t wait until tonight.” He said excitedly. Twilight rolled her eyes. “We know, you only said it about a hundred times.” “I know. I just can’t believe she’s performing tonight. I’ve been listening to her practice and it sounds divine, but she’s so worried it won’t be good enough.” “How about you go and give her a pep talk. It may help her gain more confidence.” Bramblestar nodded. Spike sent a letter for him. In a few minutes Octavia replied saying it would be great for him to come over. He picked up a few extra muffins and put them in a basket. Then he headed out the door and started flying towards her house. It was really easy to spot since she painted musical notes all over it. He landed at the door and rang the doorbell. Octavia came and answered it. Bramblestar couldn’t help thinking about how her main was absolutely beautiful. The way it lay flat but still gave the illusion that it had a bit of curl to it. “Hi Bramblestar. It’s so nice to see before my big show. I’m so nervous.” “You have no reason to be nervous. You’re really talented.” He said, trying to cheer her up. She smiled. Bramblestar tried not to blush but she caught him. “Is that blushing I see?” She said teasingly. “I,I uh……” “Don’t worry Bramblestar. I kinda like you too.” He nearly fainted as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Suddenly he felt a pang of sadness as it reminded him of Squirrelflight. Octavia automatically knew what he was thinking. “I think I know what you can do to get back at her Bramblestar.” He perked up his ears. “How? “Tell the clan that you’re alive through a letter. Spike can send it. Then Squirrelflight will probably be kicked out of her place as leader or the clan might rebel against her.” He nodded. This sounded like a great plan. He didn’t know if Spike can send letters through different worlds though. Then a thought hit him. “But cat’s can't read.” “Then you can send a voice message. I heard it’s a really hard spell but I bet Twilight can do it.” She said. Bramblestar smiled. He planned to send it right after Octavia’s concert. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.” He said softly. He closed his eyes. Even though she said she liked him he was still afraid of rejection. “I love you too.” He sighed in relief and wished her luck. After he gave Octavia the muffins he flew off back to the library to get ready. Quickly he ate lunch and prepared for the concert. It was only an hour away after all. Now he was excited for getting revenge and seeing his girlfriend play her cello for a crowd. “This is the best day ever!” He yelled out loud. He heard Twilight complain downstairs. Bramblestar ignored her and started to get ready. > Chapter Eight: Symphony of Evil > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music filled the room from the cello. Octavia smiled at the crowd, making sure to blow a kiss to Bramblestar. It seemed like the notes were magically floating through the air, causing the atmosphere to change with every note. She played her music faster and faster. A thoughtful expression came to her face. When she was done she ran off the stage in a flash. Bramblestar ran behind the stage to see her crying. “Octavia! What’s wrong?” “As I played faster I had a vision.” She started, trying not to sob. “I say when you died at that thing you call a gathering. I didn’t really understand it at first, but I saw a cat leap on another that had the same pelt as you. He said that you were a prey stealer.” Bramblestar came to her side and gave her a hug. She leaned against him and started to cry. He did his best to comfort her but it was no use. After a bit she stopped crying but he could tell she could break out crying any minute. “Dear, everything's fine. that was the past. Plus it was a good thing I died.” He said. She looked up at him. “How?” “Because I met you.” She smiled and got up. Bramblestar decided to bring her to The Hay Burger for dinner. Right before he left he grabbed her Octavia’s cello and said that they can deliver it at her house and then go out to eat. When they got there he ordered a table for two. A blue colt led them to a booth by the window. They both ordered hay burgers and a couple of apple ciders. Bramblestar turned to Octavia. “So are you feeling better?” “Yes, thank you.” The blue colt came back with their burgers and drinks. They both ate slowly, savoring every bite. Bramblestar looked out the window. He saw the moon rising and the sun setting at the same time. He still couldn’t believe that’s how it works here. Octavia put a hoof on her head and she had an expression on her face that said pain. “What’s wrong?” Bramblestar asked in a scared voice. “A few of those memories came back to my head, and some new ones came too.” “Like what?” “I saw a ginger cat address a group of them in some kind of clearing. She said her name was Squirrelstar. That must be Squirrelflight right?” She asked. He nodded. “So she’s become leader. I knew it was coming but it’s still a shock.” Bramblestar felt his wings quiver, trying to lift up, but he held them firmly down. He decided he had to talk to Twilight as soon as possible so he could tell Thunderclan what happened. Octavia started to get up. “Thanks for the dinner Bramblestar but I must be going. I love you. Goodnight.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Love you too. Goodnight.” He followed her out the door and headed the opposite direction towards the library. When he came in Twilight was pacing back and forth but stopped when she saw him. “Oh thank goodness you’re home. When you didn’t come home after Octavia’s show I thought you had gotten lost or worse. I don’t even wanna worry about it. All that matters is your back.” She said happily. Bramblestar smiled. “I was just on a date.” “Oooo! With who?” “Octavia.” Twilight looked as if she was going to explode with excitement just like Pinkie Pie does on a regular bases. “Listen Twilight I have a question.” “Ask away.” She said. He noticed that she looked sad again. She probably thought he wanted to leave. “Could we send a voice message to my clan? Octavia said it would be a hard spell but you may be able to do it.” She shook her head. “No I can’t. Sorry but I would need to make a very complicated potion.” Bramblestar hung his head sadly. Suddenly Twilight perked up. “But I do know somepony who could make the potion!” “Who?” “You’ll see.” She said with a sly smile on her face > Chapter Nine: Zecora > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two ponies headed into the Everfree Forest. Last time he had been here was a bad experience. He had just been sent to this world by Bluestar when he had died during the gathering. When he appeared in the forest he almost got attacked by timberwolves but Applejack and Fluttershy had saved him. Twilight interrupted his thinking when she stopped at a hut. “Here we are.” “And exactly where are we? And who are we going to see?” “We are in the middle of the Everfree Forest.” She began “And we are visiting Zecora, a zebra. She is going to help us make the potion we need to send a voice message to your clan.” Bramblestar nodded. Twilight went and knocked on the door of the hut. A blue pegasus opened the door. She looked confused. “Solar Wind? What are you doing here?” She asked. He flashed a smile. “I decided to be Zecora’s apprentice so I can make potions too. Come on in. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.” Bramblestar followed the two ponies inside. The decor looked very interesting to him and it kind of reminded him of Discord. A striped pony was standing over a cooking pot. She seemed to be muttering to herself. He caught the words Poison Joke. Solar Wind headed over to a shelf and grabbed a bowl with blue flowers in it. He handed it to the pony. She poured all of it in there and then looked at him and Twilight. “Greetings both of you. I see you’re here for my latest brew.” Bramblestar nodded. “Will it really work?” “As the cauldron starts to bubble, you will appear in a puddle. A cat will see you very soon, and then you can seal Squirrelstar's doom.” He let out a sigh. Clearly this pony, zebra, whatever she was, was going to rhyme everything. The cauldron started to and he walked over to it. He instantly saw Spiderleg. He yelled for him. “Spiderleg!” The cat looked around and then saw the puddle. He walked over to it and gasped when he saw Bramblestar’s reflection. “Who are you and how do you know my name?” “It’s me Bramblestar. I’m in a different world as a different animal.” Spiderleg narrowed his eyes. “How do I know that you’re not lying?” “Would I really do this just to lie to you?” Said Bramblestar with a annoyed hiss. “No I guess not. So what do you want?” “I came to tell you that Squirrelstar wanted me dead. She just kept close to me so she would be leader.” He nodded his head. “The whole clan knows but there’s nothing we can do. Without you here we have to listen to her. I’m sorry Bramblestar but unless you come back she’ll remain our leader.” And then the cauldron stopped bubbling. Bramblestar sighed in defeat. Zecora gave him a sympathetic look. “I feel sorry for you. This is something no one should do. Squirrelstar has now taken power, so I’m afraid this is Thunderclan’s darkest hour.” She said. Bramblestar just got up and left. Twilight followed him after saying goodbye to Zecora and Solar Wind. When she caught up she looked at him. She started to say something but he hardly heard her. He was more focused on how there was nothing that could be done. He wanted more than ever to rip his claws down Squirrelstar’s spine until she screamed in agony but he couldn’t. “I can’t believe there’s nothing I can do.” He whispered to himself. > Chapter Ten: Bluestar? Really! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bramblestar woke up to see the sun shining. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, for he had never slept till sunhigh before. He heard hoofsteps downstairs and the click of dragon talons. Bramblestar got up and made his bed. Once he was done he headed downstairs to see Twilight hard at work studying. She was levitating several books at once with her horn. “Good morning.” Said Spike “Bramblestar, I was thinking about last nights events and I decided something. You have to get home soon.” He tipped his head and thought hard. He wanted to take care of Squirrelstar but he didn’t wanna leave Ponyville anymore. And he really didn’t want to leave Octavia. “Do I have to go?” Twilight dropped all her books, a look of shock on her face. “But I thought you wanted to kill Squirrelstar.” “I do,” He began. “but I like it here in Ponyville. Squirrelstar will die in her own time so there’s no reason for me to go and kill her nine times.” “Why nine times?” Asked Spike. “She has received nine lives from Starclan. Unless I make a wound so unreparable that they can’t help her I would have to kill her nine times.” Spike nodded. Twilight looked confused now but didn’t say anything. Bramblestar ignored the hunger in his stomach and headed out the door. As he did he bumped into a light blue mare. She had the same exact cutie mark as him, a cat made of stars. She gave him a hard look with her blue eyes. Suddenly he recognized her. “Bluestar?” The mare smiled and nodded. Bramblestar couldn’t believe his eyes. The one cat who had sent him here was standing right in front of him. Suddenly he remembered Spottedleaf’s words: “Bluestar was mad. She has lost her mind once more. We had to kill her in the end.”. “What are you doing here?” He said, getting into a defensive stance. “I’m here to tell you the truth.” She said. Twilight and spike looked at the blue pony. “So you’re Bluestar?” They said at the same time. She nodded. “I must tell Bramblestar the truth. I did not send you here to punish you. I sent you here to save you. Squirrelstar is not who you think she is because Squirrelflight died.” Bramblestar gasped. All his previous thoughts of hatred forgotten he looked at the blue mare. “But Squirrelstar is leading Thunderclan. She, she can’t be dead.” Bluestar’s gaze hardened. “Mapleshade killed her. Then she took the form of Squirrelflight so she could kill you and rule the clan. I sent you away so she couldn’t, but turns out that just gave her what she wanted.” Spike stepped up next to Bramblestar. “How do we know you're not just lying?” He asked. Bluestar stepped aside to let a starry cat enter the room. She looked liked Firestar but Bramblestar knew better. “Squ, Squirrelflight?” The cat nodded. “Yes. Now do you believe Bluestar?” Bramblestar nodded. Squirrelflight gave him a smile. “Now get back to Thunderclan and kill Mapleshade!” She hissed. He bowed his head. Squirrelflight started to fade. “And one last thing. Be good to Octavia.” Bluestar smiled and started to walk out the door. Bramblestar knew her destiny lies somewhere else. At last his heart was at peace. He knew now that Squirrelflight did not betray him again. Now there was only one thing left for him to do before he could be truly free here. “I must kill Mapleshade!” He said to Spike and Twilight. Both of them nodded. He knew they would help. “First we need the other girls.” Twilight said. “I think I know how they can help.” She walked over to a glass case and took out a crown with a star on it. “What’s that?” Bramblestar asked. “My element of harmony.” > Chapter Eleven: Let's Finish This > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bramblestar knocked on the door. Octavia opened up and gave him a big hug, an even bigger smile on her face. He returned the hug briefly but there wasn’t much time. She seemed to understand and followed him back to Twilight’s library. On the way he explained everything that happened. There were some gasps and stunned silence between them but for the most part she was silent. “So you have to get back to your clan?” She asked sadly. “Yes. I’m sorry Octavia. I don’t want to go, but I must. I’m hoping I can come back after I deal with Mapleshade.” “If you go than I go.” They walked into the library as she said this. All the other ponies were already there and nodded in agreement. “We’re all going with you.” Twilight said. Bramblestar shook his head. He didn’t want to put anyone else in danger. “I can’t let you.” “Try and stop us.” Said Rainbowdash. He sighed. There was just no reasoning with these ponies. All the ponies put on their elements. Of course he and Octavia couldn’t wear any but he felt kind of jealous. Zecora came in with another on of her brews. It was the same one he used earlier to talk to Spiderleg. Bramblestar watched in awe as a rainbow surrounded the six mares and blasted the pot. The brew turned from blue to green. “Here we go!” Cried Pinkie as she jumped in. Zecora quickly handed Twilight a jar of the brew and told her what she had to do to get back. All the ponies jumped in until it was just him and Octavia. The zebra looked at both of them. “In the portal you two must go, if you wish to help with the show.” Bramblestar took a deep breath and grabbed Octavia’s hoof. Together they jumped through the pot. They screamed as the transformation from pony to cat began. He didn’t remember any pain when he turned into a pony but this was different. A blackness hit him and he woke up on a hot stone. He saw the clan working below on their regular duties. “Mapleshade must have put me outside her den so she could gloat.” He thought to himself. He could hear the other ponies talking to his clan mates outside the barrier. He got up and ran out the entrance, getting scared glances from all his clan mates. “Leave them be!” Squirrelstar turned around to look at him with a shocked glance. He saw that Spiderleg, Cloudtail, and Brightheart was with her. “I, I thought you were dead.” Said Squirrelstar. “I’m just as much dead as you are right now Squirrelstar, or is that really you?” She let out a loud hiss. “What do you mean?” Everypony, no every cat from the other world, smiled at her. “I mean that you’re not Squirrelstar. You’re Mapleshade!” Every cat gasped in shock except for his new friends. Squirrelstar turned back to her normal faded self. “So you caught me. Now what are you going to do?” Bramblestar leaped at her, aiming for her throat. She dodged out of the way and faded into the mist. He could just hear her parting words. “Watch out Bramblestar! I will find you and kill you! And then Thunderclan will be mine!” Octavia looked at him. She looked scared from his vicious attack yet intrigued. “Bramblestar, if we have to take care of Mapleshade, then all us ponies need to learn to fight too.” He nodded. Then he looked at Cloudtail, Spiderleg, and Brightheart. All of them were speechless. Finally Spiderleg, already knowing about the pony thing, spoke up. “Care to explain all of this Bramblestar?” “Yes. It’s a long story, so get all of the clan gathered under the high rock. And also my new friends will be staying with us.” The three cats nodded and went to go get the clan ready. Bramblestar brought his friends through the entrance and showed them where they would stay. He made sure to tell Octavia that she could stay in his den. By the time he was done all the cats had gathered below. He took a deep breath and began his story. “Cats of Thunderclan. You may not believe me, but this is a true story to be told.” > Chapter Twelve: Preparing > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Twilight, now leap at me with the best angle you can.” Cinderheart instructed. The purple cat jumped at her, but she neatly dodged it. Twilight smiled and flipped backwards. She landed on Cinderheart’s back and caused her to lose balance. Then she gave a quick nip on her leg. Cinderheart went limp, showing that she gave up. Twilight let out a yowl of victory and then backed up. Bramblestar nodded at the two. “That was a great move. You did a great job teaching her Cinderheart.” They both smiled at his praise. He looked over to see the other ponies practicing battle moves with his cats. They’ve only been here a few days but they were learning fast, especially Octavia. Bramblestar felt a tap on his shoulder. He could smell the scent of Purdy. “Bramblestar, I went out hunting and I found Mapleshade’s scent by a killed rabbit.” “Show me where.” Purdy nodded and started heading towards the entrance. Bramblestar had just gotten out the entrance when he smelled blood. He looked over to see Purdy covered in scratches. One of his eyes were closed and he had a couple of teeth missing. He could hear Mapleshade laughing in the distance. “Purdy, can you walk?” “I, I think so. It’s a good thing we’re right next to camp.” He nodded and led the elder towards the medicine den. Jayfeather came running out, already having supplies for his wounds. “Dovewing heard the attack, but the whole camp could hear it.” He explained quickly. Bramblestar froze. He hadn’t heard the attack, only saw it when he exited the camp. This disturbed him more than ever. Jayfeather looked at him, obviously reading his mind to see what was wrong. His blind eyes intensified quickly. “You’re just not used to listening to danger.” “I shouldn’t be like this!” Bramblestar snapped back. He stomped out of the clearing. Jayfeather shook his head and went back to Purdy’s wounds. When he got back to his den he found Octavia waiting for him. “Are you okay?” She asked. He quickly sighed. “Yes, it’s just my senses haven’t worked the best lately.” “I know you’ll be fine in no time.” “I don’t know Octavia. If my sense don’t work then I’ll have an even worse time when Mapleshade comes back.” Octavia gave a small nod. Bramblestar felt relieved that she understood his troubles and didn’t just try to dismiss them right away. Suddenly a thought came to his mind. “Would you like to help me train?” She smiled. “Of course.” The two cats walked out the entrance and to the training area. After a couple hours of training the two went hunting. Bramblestar caught a shrew and two mice while Octavia caught three canaries and a rabbit. As they brought their haul back to camp he listened for danger, his hearing suddenly sharper than normal, but heard nothing out of the ordinary. The camp was busy with cats training and talking over defense strategies against Mapleshade. The fresh kill pile was hardly stocked, and their addition didn’t make much of a difference. Bramblestar felt anger burn inside of him. His clan should not be preparing more for Mapleshade then the upcoming leaf-bare. “Brightheart, Sandstorm! Both of you lead a hunting patrol now!” He growled. Both cats quickly got up and chose the cats they wanted and hurried out the entrance. He shook his head while another thought hit his mind. “Mapleshade is ruining my clan.” He thought disparagingly. The seven cats who had come with him had never been asked on a patrol so he had to order it personally. His deputy, who was now Brightheart, didn’t like to put them on patrols. He knew it’s because of where they came from. He raised his ears as he heard the voice of Mapleshade. “Looks like you’ve helped me ruin your clan” > The Final Battle Part One > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mapleshade took a deep breath as she got her cats together. She was furious about Bramblestar being back and taking her place as leader. She had done some things to help hurt his clan but nothing was leading up to this. Her personal army of dark forest cats were gathering around her, ready for the next training session. Mapleshade smiled as she saw how many followers she had. "Okay, first we'll practice the killing bite!" "I wan't Twilight and Fluttershy to each lead a hunting patrol. Spiderleg, I wan't you to do a border patrol near Windclan territory." Brightheart said, a high note of authority in her voice. The three cats nodded and started to take their pick of warriors and apprentices. Bramblestar smiled with satisfaction as he saw two of his pony friends leading a patrol. After the clan found out Purdy was okay they started to relax. He sighed as he remembered Mapleshade's last words that day. "I have not done anything to make my clan weak or fall apart." He thought angrily. Octavia padded up to him, a slight smile on her face. "Would you like to join Spiderleg and I on a border patrol?" He got up and nodded. As they headed out the entrance he took one more look around to see all the cats busy. Outside of camp seemed to be just as busy as the inside. Animals were running about, not even noticing the cats. His paws itched to catch the easy pickings but knew he was on a border patrol, not a hunting patrol. They started to head for the Windclan border, when a black tom came out. Bramblestar recognized him as Crowfeather. His pelt was ruffled and he had blood dripping from a gash on his flank. "Thank goodness you're hear Bramblestar! We need your help! The dark forest is invading again!" Bramblestar gasped but shook his head so he could think clearly. He turned to his patrol. "I want Spiderleg to come with me to Windclan camp. Octavia, I want you to head back to camp and collect as many warriors as you can!" She nodded and ran. The two toms started to follow Crowfeather into Windclan territory. When they got to the camp it was in complete chaos. The most injured were being treated by the medicine cat while the battle raged on all around them. The fighting warriors were trying to beat down the army but were losing fast. Bramblestar jumped into battle, clashing with a dark forest tom. He dodged his claws as they came towards his throat, then bit the cat's neck. He held on tight until the body went limp. More of his warriors flooded into the camp, overpowering the dark army. "Help!" Bramblestar looked to see a queen being attacked by a large ginger she cat. He leaped towards her, only to be knocked out of the air by Mapleshade. He hissed in rage, raking his claws on her muzzle. She pinned him down and clawed at his exposed belly. "No one will save you now!" She spat. Just then Applejack leaped at her, causing Mapleshade to lose her grip. He got up and looked for the queen but she was nowhere in sight. Fluttershy screamed and he headed towards her. She was trying to defend a small kit against the same ginger she cat. The queen he had seen earlier was lying dead near the nursery. He hissed and leaped at the she cat. "You will pay for harming a queen, you piece of foxdung!" He clawed a large gash in her throat, then released her. She only got a few tail lengths away when she collapsed dead. Mapleshade gave a loud yowl. "Retreat!" She screeched. All the cats ran out of the camp. Onestar headed over to him. "I'm, I'm so sorry I killed you.....I thought you kept stealing pray." The leader said, with a bow of his head, usually for lower ranked cats. "I forgive you. Now, if you would excuse me, my clan and I need to go home." The leader nodded. Bramblestar gathered his clan and headed out the entrance and towards his own territory. "How much more of this can we take?" He thought to himself sadly. > The Final Battle Part Two > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the Thunderclan cats headed back to camp, Bramblestar noticed Octavia pad up beside him. She didn't look harmed, which gave him a note of relief, but he was still afraid that something bad would happen. She studied him as he walked, so he tried to hide the limp in his leg. "You're not doing a very good job at hiding your injuries." She said thoughtfully. "I just don't want you to worry." "I always worry!" He flinched, surprised by her rough tone. As they padded into the camp, he noticed many cats getting their injuries checked. Bramblestar sat down to wait. He stiffened when he heard a loud yowl. At first he hoped it was just someone who had gotten a thorn on the way back, but his hopes fell when Dovewing perked up her ears. She looked at him with a horrified glance. She was about to explain when the army came in, being led by Mapleshade. Bramblestar got ready to pounce, when a white she cat toppled him. He slashed out with his claws, scoring a few hits on her muzzle. She hissed in rage and made in for his throat. He cried in pain as his life ebbed away, turning into a black screen. When he could see again, he was in a grassy clearing. A single cat was with him, a cat he thought he'd never see again, Squirrelflight. Bramblestar expected pain to flow through him, but nothing came, only a strange calm. "Don't worry, you'll be back in the battle soon." She said calmly. A mist swirled around him, causing him to see black. Then he was back in the battle. He got up and looked around, trying to find Mapleshade. He found her watching the battle, a smug look on her face. Bramblestar pounced, scoring his claws in her neck. She spit at him and thrashed, trying to loosen his grip. "You'll never win!" "You're wrong Mapleshade! As long as I stand I'm winning! The only won losing is you!" He yowled, giving a killing bite to her neck. Every dark forest warrior looked up to him kill her. Ripples of shock flowed throughout them. One cat, a black tom, ran out the entrance. The others were soon behind him. Sandstorm let out a yowl of triumph. Jayfeather came out of the medicine den with his herbs. Bramblestar guessed he had hid there for safety. He looked around the clearing, sighing in relief when he saw no cats were killed. Twilight walked up to him, holding a highly decorated box. She had a small smile on her face. "Would you like to come back to Ponyville with us?" He nodded, "But first, I must address the clan." He jumped onto the high ledge and looked down at his clan. He felt a pang of regret, but knew that he belonged in Equestria. Bramblestar called the usual words and waited for the clan to gather. "Cats of Thunderclan, I'm not staying here any longer." Gasps of horror spread throughout the clearing, but he signaled them to be quiet. "I am going back to Ponyville, for that is where I belong!" "But who will lead the clan?" Asked Cloudtail. "Brightheart, or should I say, Brightstar!" And with that he jumped down from the ledge. He followed his friends out the entrance. They stopped in a small, clear area and opened the box. Twilight grabbed a flower and dropped it into the brew, causing the portal to come up. Bramblestar followed his friends into the portal. He felt blackness engulf him, only seeing light when he was back in Equestria. He smiled as he saw the familiar shops and ponies of Ponyville. "We're back!" Rainbowdash said loudly. Bramblestar turned to Octavia, "I love you." She smiled, "I love you too. Now, come on. We have to prepare for my next concert." He got up and followed her through the streets.